Everything a Fairy Tale Shouldn't Be
by Pirotessa
Summary: AU. One night in a thunderstorm, Kaoru finds an injured Kenshin on her doorstep. She saved his life, and he's going to return the favor...
1. Default Chapter

Hello all! I'm starting a new story, but I just want to see how well it is received. It will NOT be updated for a while. Oh, and another thing: I'm not planning this story, just sitting down, typing, and seeing what comes out of it.  
  
This fanfiction is dedicated to a reviewer from "Mage's Mistake," Kurai Catt, and my good friend Isabelle.  
  
I do dislike putting disclaimers on my fanfics, but in the glorious tradition of Chipmunkagainsttheleprechauns, I'll say this: I don't own anything. (Ever considered shortening your name? My spellchecker is going haywire.)  
  
With that done... On with the show!  
  
Everything a Fairy Tale Shouldn't Be... By DrowAngel  
  
Thunder cracked and boomed outside, causing even the large manor house to shake on its foundations. Kaoru, as usual, was the last one awake, sweeping the kitchen and preparing for the morning bustle. She shuddered again, listening to the wind howling through the trees outside. A flash came through the tightly shuttered windows. Slowly, Kaoru counted the seconds.  
  
One...  
  
Two...  
  
Three...  
  
BOOM!  
  
Kaoru shivered again. Anxiously, she swept harder, wanting to finish the job so she could rest. However, she did not hear the sound that came from the door, which was lost in the onslaught of thunder. The sound came again, softer, but noticeable in the momentary lull in the gale. Kaoru stopped, and listened. The sound came once more, even fainter.  
  
/That's strange...Who would be out at this time of night, in a storm like this, of all things.../  
  
She leaned her broom against the wall, and opened the door.  
  
The wind from the gale blasted against her, soaking her to the skin immediately. Through the wall of blasting wind and rain she could see a figure. She reached to touch the person's sleeve, when a sudden gust of wind blew her off balance. She careened back, tripped over the doorsill, and fell on the floor, the strange person flopping ungraciously to the floor next to her.  
  
"Are you all right?" she gasped, reaching out to tug his—or her—sleeve. She couldn't tell by the hood that covered the person's head.  
  
"Milord? Milady?"  
  
The person didn't answer. She shifted the sodden cloak, trying to see the figure's face; and bit her lip to keep from crying out. The rainwater that had pooled around them both was streaked with red. Quickly, she turned the person over. If she wasn't so distraught at the sight of blood, she would have puzzled over the weight-or lack of it-of the body. Kaoru rocked back on her knees, stunned. The hood had fallen back, revealing the figure's face. His face was handsome to the point of being pretty, only marred by a long cross-shaped scar. His hair, even more surprising, was a shocking shade of red. Kaoru, in her dazed state, absently took in the other details, including the gashes that welled blood all over his body, how young his face looked, and his sword. Her mind abruptly slapped itself awake. All her life, she had been told again and again. Swords were trouble. They were only used to kill. Kaoru, however, took one look at the young man's face, contorted with pain, and gave a vicious sailor's curse. She stiffened, however, when she heard slow, measured footfalls, ones she recognized as her stepmothers'. She seemed to be coming down the stairs. Kaoru knew that she had no time. If Karenna found a bleeding man on the floor of her kitchen, all hell would break loose, to say the least. She quickly stood up, draped one of his arms over her shoulder, and lifted him onto her back. She opened the door and stepped out into the storm. The gale battered her back and forth, so she was barely able to keep her balance. She saw a faint light that marked her destination. Unexpectedly, her burden began to slip, and she had to stop to reposition the body so that he wouldn't be dragged in the mud. A few minutes later, she knocked into something solid. A few moments of inspection revealed a barn door. Grateful, she tugged it open, slipped inside, and let go of the barn door, to have the wind slam it shut again.  
  
The barn smelled like horses and hay, and was filled with a faint light from a lantern hanging on a hook. Kaoru gently lowered her burden onto a bale of hay, and, with frequent glances, Kaoru marched over to a small door cunningly hidden in the wall of the barn. She took a deep breath, and began to hammer on the door.  
  
"Yahiko! Open the door, now!" she shouted above the banging. "Yahiko!"  
  
"What?" growled a sleepy voice. The door was flung open to reveal a small boy dressed in homespun brown linen. The child squinted at the girl, and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Well, if it isn't the hag. What is it this—" He paused and looked at her carefully. His expression changed into something like worry.  
  
"What happened to you? Did she beat you again?" There was an undertone of anger in his voice. Kaoru smiled wryly and looked down at herself. Her clothes were wet and muddy, and blood smeared her clothes.  
  
"I am a mess, aren't I? But seriously, Yahiko, I need your help."  
  
She quickly filled him in on the events that had happened while she was in the kitchen. Yahiko listened attentively, his eyes a bit wild. When she was done with her story, Yahiko began to question her.  
  
"So, you're saying he's in the barn?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And you didn't tell me before?"  
  
"You were too busy commenting on my clothes to let me talk. He might be dead by now."  
  
But Yahiko was already in the main room of the barn, so she shook her head and followed. The young man's condition had worsened. His lips were blue and he shivered convulsively. Yahiko looked up, his face was grim.  
  
"This is bad. He's been this way for awhile. Listen, ugly, you go back to the house before you get in trouble. I'll go get the healer."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Just go, all right! I know what I'm doing! Besides," he added, "Remember last time she found you gone? You still have the scars."  
  
Kaoru looked helplessly at him, and then sighed.  
  
"I suppose you're right," she conceded reluctantly  
  
"Good. Now leave!"  
  
Yahiko hurried her to the door and pushed her outside. She stood for a moment in the rain, then started walking toward the house, thinking grimly on how she would beat Yahiko into a pulp the next time she saw him. When she reached the door, she hesitated, then rushed inside, and in the process of slamming and bolting the door, heard a sound behind her. She whirled around, and found, to her shock, none other than her stepmother was there, staring hard at her. She was suddenly very conscious of her appearance and the pool of muddy, bloodstained water that pooled around her feet.  
  
"Ah.....," she stammered, thinking desperately of a ploy to get herself out of inevitable trouble.  
  
"I suppose you can explain this?" her stepmother said icily, pointing to the puddle of water. Kaoru only stammered incoherently.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I....cut my hand on a knife, and it bled quite a bit. And the water...I left the door to the firewood shed open, and..."  
  
Her eyes were on the ground, so she did not see the blow coming. She slumped against the door, her hand on the red print on her face.  
  
"I do not want to hear your feeble excuses," Karenna said haughtily. "Clean up this mess, and I'll hear no more from you."  
  
Kaoru grumbled as she watched her stepmother sweep regally up the stairs, then picked up her broom and finished her job.  
  
But little did she know, that at the moment she heard the noise at her door, her life had been changed forever, and in more ways than one. 


	2. Healer

Yes! I never thought this story would be so popular. Anyway, I'll answer some reviews now...  
  
Ashi-chan: Uh, you do know that "ja ne" means "is not," right? Anyway, I'm glad you like it.  
  
Hanging: Sorry! This should alleviate your fears somewhat.  
  
Kurai Catt: How do you like your story? Don't worry, we all are a little obsessed with our Kenshin.  
  
Li-Sun-Rie: Wow! You reviewed me? I love your work!  
  
ME: He'll wake up...eventually.  
  
Victoria: You'll see!  
  
Okay!  
  
Megumi sat at her kitchen table, idly swirling her tea as she just as absently watched the storm beat at her windows. She looked around her tiny cabin, its shelves stuffed with medical supplies. Suddenly, she was drawn out of her reverie by a pounding at her door. Striding over, she wondered who would be out in a storm like this. She realized that it had to be an emergency. Yanking the door open, the person stumbled inside.  
  
Yahiko shrugged off his heavy cloak and looked at the startled healer.  
  
"Come on!" He said urgently. "We don't have much time!"  
  
Megumi was seized with an irrational fear. "Is Kaoru..."  
  
"She's fine. It's someone else."  
  
By this time, Megumi had gathered a bag of supplies and had thrown on a cloak.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
When they reached the barn, both were soaked to the skin and freezing cold. Yahiko opened the door and rushed inside, with Megumi following at an equal pace. The young red-haired man was thrashing, about, his face a pasty white. Megumi ran over and knelt over him, while Yahiko hovered in the background nervously. When she looked up, her face was grim.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Yahiko dared to ask.  
  
"What isn't wrong with him? Hypothermia, cracked ribs, a slight concussion—and those slashes are not helping— I'm not sure he'll live."  
  
"Can't you do anything? Please?"  
  
Megumi smiled wearily at the child's pleading. "Yahiko, I'm not a miracle worker. I can't save him. It's a wonder he made it so far."  
  
"But people say you can do magic! Can't you use that?"  
  
Megumi was packing up her medicines, put when she heard this she whirled and stared at Yahiko. The boy shrank from her intense glare.  
  
"You are to tell no one this! Do you understand? No one!"  
  
The boy scratched his head, abashed by the furious rebuttal. "Well, can't you?"  
  
Megumi seemed to hesitate, her face a picture of conflicting emotions. "Very well," she said shortly. Yahiko seemed to brighten, and a faint grin formed on his face.  
  
"Can I watch?"  
  
"No. You go into your room, and don't come out."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Go!"  
  
"Yes, Mother."  
  
"I heard that!"  
  
The boy stalked from the room, his face irritated. Then, Megumi drifted over to the man, and a faint smile stole across her features.  
  
"What have you gotten yourself into this time, Your Majesty?"  
  
And with that, she began to sing, a high, sweet song with no recognizable words. When it was over, she stood there for a moment, and then inclined her head towards the man, seemingly listening to something. When she had confirmed that he was indeed breathing easier, she allowed the same secretive smile to her face.  
  
"Yahiko!" she called, her voice sounding hollow in the large barn. Soon enough, a familiar spiky head poked itself out.  
  
"Done already?"  
  
"It was a simple spell."  
  
Yahiko looked at her suspiciously.  
  
"You know something I don't, don't you."  
  
"Oh, I know many things, child, more than you could ever imagine."  
  
Then she laughed, a warm, rich laugh, that echoed through the rafters.  
  
.................  
  
That's a short chapter, but I wanted to post it, so live with it. And no, this is not a Kenshin/Megumi pairing. (Perish the thought!)  
  
So, I hope you enjoyed it! 


	3. Awakening

Chapter Three  
  
Hello! I want to skip straight to the story, so I'm not going to answer reviews. Okay?  
  
.......  
  
The first thing he heard was a rushing sound, and he was floating in a vast empty space, where he couldn't feel any pain. Then he began to hear voices.  
  
"...can't do anything..,"  
  
"...magic...,"  
  
"...it's morning..,"  
  
In his state of mind, he rather irritably wanted them to be quiet. But the voices seemed to be getting louder and louder, and he could make out phrases now.  
  
"Yahiko, hush. He's coming to."  
  
He felt something wet and cold be pressed onto his face; he tried to flinch away, but a firm hand held the cloth in place. His eyes flickered open, only to show blurred shapes in shockingly bright colors. After blinking a few times, however, the room settled into its proper place. He looked up to see the people who saved him...and doubled over again when pain exploded in his chest. Dimly, he heard another voice.  
  
"Hey, I thought you said he was healed!"  
  
"I did not. Anyway, the spell is imperfect, to say the least. He'll feel a bit delicate for a while."  
  
"I guess so...But what I want to know is how he got all sliced up like that. Those were sword wounds, right?"  
  
"Correct. Speaking of swords..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I have his over here. It's like none I've seen, though. The blade looks almost...backwards."  
  
He heard the familiar sound of a blade being drawn out of a sheath—his—and a small gasp.  
  
"It's a reversed-blade sword."  
  
Even in his incapacitated state, he could hear awe in the supposed child's voice.  
  
"And that means..."  
  
"They're impossible to kill with, unless you turn it over or club someone to death. I thought nobody used these anymore. Still, we'd better hide it somewhere, so he won't decide to use it on us."  
  
"Don't. He won't hurt us."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Must you always argue with me? It's all right. He can't do anything when he's like this."  
  
The pain had receded, and he tried to sit up again, gasping. He felt an arm snake around his shoulders to support him, and through blurred eyes, he saw the vague outline of a face.  
  
"Can you sit up now?" he heard the woman's voice saying. He tried to answer, but whatever he said was drowned out by coughing. His throat was dry, like he hadn't drunk water for a month. His eyes watered, and the room came into an almost painful focus.  
  
A small boy with bright eyes was staring at him curiously, a familiar sword resting in his lap. Sitting next to him, supporting him, was a concerned- looking young woman. Both of them looked tired, with bags under their eyes.  
  
"Yahiko, darling..."  
  
"What do you want now?"  
  
"What made you think I wanted something?"  
  
"I know you."  
  
"Hardly. Anyway, go outside and get a bucket of water. I need to clean up, and he needs a drink."  
  
"I'm going, I'm going..."  
  
His voice trailed off as he picked up the bucket and sauntered out the door. The lady stared straight at him, and an inquisitive look came into her eyes.  
  
"Since when does the Forest King wander around the countryside half-dead, in a country where people would willingly kill you without a thought?" she asked directly, obviously not caring how her question might be received. The young man's head snapped up, and despite his parched throat, he was on the verge of answering when the door banged open again, and the boy—Yahiko—strode in, and his mouth shut with a snap.  
  
"Hey..." Yahiko said, laying down the bucket, his eyes slightly thoughtful. "Do you know where the hag is? She usually stops by the stable each morning to cram whatever she's made for breakfast down my throat. I wonder what happened when she went back inside last night."  
  
The young woman covered her mouth, a worried look on her face.  
  
"I don't dare go in the house, so were going to have to wait. Yahiko, go outside and call me if you see her coming. No, don't stick your tongue out at me."  
  
"But I want to stay in here! It's cold outside!"  
  
"Our guest and I need to talk. Anyway, don't you have chores?"  
  
Yahiko rocketed off of his perch on the hay bale and swore.  
  
"Now the lady's going to beat me!"  
  
As the child rushed outside, Megumi turned back to her visitor, who was eyeing the water with undisguised longing. She stood up and swept into a graceful curtsey. The as of yet nameless man blushed, and held out his hands in a mollifying gesture.  
  
"Your Majesty, would you please explain what happened?" Megumi said coolly.  
  
...  
  
The sun poured through the thin slats in the shutters, and fell on Kaoru's sleeping face. She twitched, and rolled over, scrubbing at her sleep-filled eyes. She looked around her tiny, shabby room in the servants' quarters, and wearily stood up. Stumbling over to one of the walls, she peered into a shard of a long-broken mirror, and hissed. Spread over half of her face was a large purplish bruise.  
  
"You would think that a woman who always giving parties, sitting inside, and worrying on how she looked wouldn't be so strong..." she mumbled to herself. Taking care not to jostle the bruise, she dressed, and skipped down the stairs. When she reached the kitchen, Kaoru leaned against the wall and pondered.  
  
"My cooking's really awful, and Yahiko hates it, but he eats it anyway... I'll just give him a cold breakfast," she decided, making her way to the breadbox. As she was slicing the food, Kaoru, her mind somewhere else, accidentally cut her palm. While staring stupidly at the small wound, she remembered.  
  
/Blood...That man! /  
  
Moving as fast as her feet would carry her, Kaoru snatched a basket off the counter, crammed as much food as she could in it, and ran outside.  
  
...  
  
I'm so sorry! I left you hanging again! But it couldn't be helped. I need to get off the computer anyway. Nothing really interesting happened here, did it? Sorry... 


	4. The Manor

Chapter Four. Time to answer reviews!  
  
Adrian Winter: Why, thank you!  
  
Li-Sun-Rie: Uh, was the bloody part a pun? Anyway, I didn't think that last chapter was so great, but sure...  
  
Victoria: You might not hear his story for a while yet.  
  
Ochanoko: On your favorites list?  
  
Okay then!  
  
...  
  
Kaoru rushed out into the crisp morning air, clutching the basket as she ran. One thought tumbled after the other.  
  
/Is he still alive? He looked awful last night.../  
  
The very thought made her run all the faster.  
  
Yahiko peered through the early morning haze. He could barely see a small figure running towards the barn. Setting down the feed bucket, he poked his head inside the barn.  
  
"She's coming," he announced. Megumi stood up and brushed off her dress, and turned to her 'guest'.  
  
"You look a bit shabby now—" The red-haired man looked at his bloody torn clothes and flushed—"but I'm sure Kaoru has some of her father's old clothes around."  
  
"Kaoru?" His voice was a bit high-pitched, but pleasant nonetheless.  
  
"Yes, Kaoru. The girl who walked from the manor—I'll show it to you when we get outside—in the middle of last night's gale with you slung over her shoulder. A courageous girl, but don't tell her I said that. You should thank her. If the Lady had been there, she would have let you rot on the doorstep."  
  
"It seems I have much to thank her for, then."  
  
"Indeed. Now let's go outside, your Majesty."  
  
"Miss Megumi?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I would rather that my name and occupation remain a secret, thank you. I would not wish to alarm any villagers in the vicinity."  
  
"That might be the best thing to do. What would you rather I call you?"  
  
"Kenshin. The wanderer Kenshin Himura."  
  
...  
  
Short chapter, but you'll live. I have one more story to update, and it will take the longest to do. See ya! 


	5. I'm Baaaack!

So sorry I haven't updated in a while. Someone very dear to me died a few months or so ago. I had been planning to update about then too, but that, and the fact that every single pre-typed chapter of my stories seems to have disappeared. On that slightly morose note, let me proceed to the story.

Kaoru skidded to a stop halfway to the barn to scrape some hair from her ponytail over the bruised side of her face. It wouldn't do to worry Megumi over such a meager injury.

It_ did_ hurt, though.

She trotted rest of the way over to the barn, and both she and Yahiko spoke at once.

"What took you so long? The suns' already coming up!"

"Is that guy alive? Who is he?"

They both stopped, and Kaoru asked again, "Is he alive?"

"Yeah. Wait until you hear what Megumi did!"

"What?"

"She—um… Maybe you should ask her yourself."

As Yahiko followed Kaoru inside, he blessed every god he could think of that he had remembered Megumi's warning.

…

Both people looked up when Kaoru and Yahiko entered the room. Kaoru suddenly felt very shy, but she shrugged it off. Instead, she set her mind to examining the young man who she had dragged from her doorstep the night before. He seemed pretty much the same, except he wasn't half-dead. The bandages he wore were bloodstained in parts, but he seemed much better.

However, Kaoru was so absorbed in his inspection, she almost missed what he said.

"I understand you are responsible for saving me?"

The question was mildly put, but his eyes were intense. Kaoru flushed, and raised her chin defensively.

"Yes."

"In that case, Lady Kaoru, I owe you a great debt."

She couldn't believe it. She was obviously not a lady—and how did he know her name?

"I hardly did anything! Megumi saved you. All I did was bring you over here. Yahiko and Megumi did most of the work."

"Miss Megumi has an oath to help people. And," he said with a slight smile at Yahiko "I believe Yahiko here wasn't carrying me on his back when he went to get help."

"Also," Megumi added, "Yahiko and I didn't get hurt." She stepped forward and brushed Kaoru's hair back, showing the purple bruise starkly against her pale skin. Yahiko hissed in sympathy, and Megumi rummaged for a poultice.

"It must hurt terribly," Megumi said, with a tinge of sympathy in her voice.

"What happened?"

Kaoru glanced over at the man, who was looking at her with his eyebrows raised.

"I fell," Kaoru said matter-of-factly. She wasn't one to garner sympathy.

"That's a lie," Yahiko said, just as matter-of-factly. Kaoru have him an angry glance, but he continued anyway.

"The lady hit her."


	6. Breakfast

Wow… I'm touched! Everyone's being so nice, even after I didn't update for forever, and then wrote a short chapter! I'll try and make this one longer…

Kenshin's eyes looked shocked for a moment, the stiffened into a mask. Kaoru was considering dumping Yahiko into the old, unused duck pond when he spoke again.

"Who is this lady?"

Kaoru stiffened her shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.

"Her full title is the Baroness Karenna, and she's—"

"—Kaoru's stepmother," Yahiko finished for her.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru strode towards him, fully intent on strangling him. However, she stopped in midstep, and cocked her head as if listening for something. Now that the barn was relatively quiet, the others could faintly hear the sound of a tolling bell. Kaoru, Yahiko and Megumi all glanced at each other in horror.

"Go! Kaoru, you've stayed too long already!" Yahiko dumped all the food out of the basket, handed it back to her, and began to lead her to the door.

To Yahiko: "Wait a minute!" To the young man: "What's your name?"

"Kenshin Himura, but what—"

"There's no time. I need to go! Thanks!"

Kaoru raced out the door, tripping and stumbling over the clumps of grass that dotted the cobblestone path. The sun had already risen over the tall trees in the distance, and the fog was beginning to thin. The others had all gathered at the door to watch her off. Megumi glanced at Kenshin, who was in turn staring out at the retreating figure of the girl, one hand lightly tapping at the bandages wrapped around his chest.

……….

Kaoru stepped inside, hoping against hope that Karenna had decided to sleep late. The bell rang at intervals throughout the day, and Karenna usually got up a little after the first was rung. That did give Kaoru some time, but not much…

Kaoru was not a good cook. That fact everyone knew. But preparing a cold breakfast and having Karenna call her lazy was better that burning something and getting yelled at. As she began to arrange food on a plate, her mind kept returning to that odd, scar-faced man, Kenshin. While he was skinny and weak-looking, only the best could carry a sword and not be killed by any of the King's Guards. But what on earth could have given him such horrible wounds? As she was thinking about this, she came very close to cutting her palm… again. As she was angrily muttering under her breath, she heard that annoying, tinny clinking that she detested. Picking up the tray, she opened the door into the dining room.

Well, at least she had finished making Karenna's breakfast. Maybe this wouldn't be such a horrible day after all.

……………

"What?" Kaoru couldn't believe her ears. "But… why?"

"Why do I want to buy another slave? Well, for one thing, thing, my dear, you couldn't cook to save your life." As if to prove this, Karenna picked up a piece of the toasted bread Kaoru had made, which drooped sadly.

"After all, I couldn't ask the stableboy to cook, now could I?"

Kaoru gritted her teeth and looked down. "No. No, you couldn't."

"But then again, my dear, if I bought a slave who could clean, too, then what would be the use for you? I could sell you off."

Kaoru knew that she wouldn't. Kaoru, even in her indentured state, was Karenna's only link to the Kamiya fortune. If Karenna sold her off, then everything, estate and all, would belong to some distant cousin of Kaoru's. Kaoru allowed herself to smirk. Bad idea.

Karenna's eyes looked infuriated. "Get the carriage, you worthless little brat," she hissed. Kaoru made her escape, then ran all the way to the barn.


	7. Chapter 8

Kaoru ran to the door, being sure to slam it loudly for Karenna's benefit. It was a bright morning, and much less sinister than the night before. Her feet splashed in he puddles left by the rain, and the hem of her skirt sloshed through the mud. She'd wear men's clothes in a second, of course, but Karenna would throw a fit. For the moment, she was happy with her gray dresses, even if Megumi did think that the color made her look emaciated.

She stopped at the door to the barn and peeked inside. Yahiko was eating as fast as he could, and the redhead—Kenshin, right? —was patting one of the horses.

"Don't eat so much, Yahiko. You'll get fat," Kaoru remarked acidly.

Both the boy and the young man started, and Yahiko temporarily put down the chunk of bread he was gnawing at.

"What are _you_ doing here, Ugly?"

"Karenna wants the carriage." Kaoru stared around the barn distractedly. "Where's Megumi?"

Yahiko choked, and stood up straight. "What? She wants it _now_? But—nothing's been done! The horses haven't been fed, things need to—"

Kaoru tuned him out, and turned to Kenshin, feeling shy again. After all, how were you supposed to talk to a person whom you carried around like a sack of beans the night before? Lucky for her, he started talking first.

"I am sorry that we didn't get to speak earlier, Lady Kaoru."

Would he stop calling he Lady? "I… don't think I'm deserving of that title, really," Kaoru said brusquely.

Kenshin looked faintly surprised by this. "Well, miss, you do retain some semblance of the mannerisms of a lady."

"Some?" Kaoru snarled, reaching for a conveniently positioned broom.

Kenshin took a few steps back, his hands held out in a gesture of surrender.

"I— I am sorry, my lady," he exclaimed, backing up a couple more steps. "I did not mean that to be an insult, rea—"

WHAM!

"Oro," Kenshin muttered, sitting down hard on the ground. Kaoru stood, ready to take another swing, when Yahiko stopped bustling around, and said tartly,

"Listen, Ugly, could you leave him be so he can help? I won't get any of this done by myself, especially if you keep yelling like that."

Kaoru reluctantly stopped, put down the broom, and stalked to the door. Once she was outside, Kenshin said, pained,

"Is she always like that?"

"Nope," Yahiko said, looking, for some reason, pleased. "First time she's been like that in months." Catching Kenshin's puzzled look, he explained.

"You see, I haven't known Kaoru for very long, but Megumi has. Say, would you mind helping out? But—" he added—"you don't have to if you're not feeling up to it."

"No, that's fine."

As they both set about the chores, Yahiko told the story.

"Y'see, a long time ago, Kaoru's dad was the lord of this province. Apparently, everybody liked him. His first wife was said to be really beautiful—that's Kaoru's mom.

She died when Kaoru was still a baby. I guess the lord never really recovered, after that. But when Kaoru was … twelve, I think it was, he left for the capital and came back with Karenna. Nobody knows why he married her. She's mean as anything, and has a face to match. A few weeks later, well, he died. There were all sorts of rumors about what happened. Spells, love potions, poison— I've heard them all. Anyway, Karenna immediately started spending the money and abusing Kaoru. Over the years, Kaoru's spirit just got… worn down. Her getting angry with you was the first time I've seen her get animated about anything in a long time. Don't worry about it," he said noticing Kenshin's downcast look, "She only yells at the people she likes."

While picking up a feed bucket, Yahiko noticed Kenshin looking in the direction of the manor, with a secret smile on his face. He shrugged, and went about his work. It wasn't any of his business, anyway.

Kaoru fumed as she strode towards the manor, kicking at unoffending weeds as she passed. What did he mean, "some" mannerisms? What did he expect? All of her lessons had stopped after her father died. She still found time to educate herself, though. There was a booklender in the village that had always given her books when she asked for them. There was precious little time to read, though. Reading at night was always a possibility, but eventually, the wax candles would all disappear, and Karenna would get suspicious. Well, at least she wasn't a _complete_ loss. She could still use a sword fairly well, and she could read and write, something that many of the local villagers couldn't do. Suddenly, this train of thought was interrupted by another. If Kenshin was the wanderer he said he was, how could he recognize _any _of the social niceties? Learning to be a noble was a laborious process. If one was familiar with it, then it was easy to recognize the training in another person, just by how they held themselves. Kaoru lacked this talent, but could he be someone special?

As she opened the door, all of her musings centered on one question.

Just who was Kenshin Himura, anyway?

The clinks and mutterings coming from the dining room showed that Karenna was still busy with her breakfast. Kaoru stealthily ran up the grand staircase, to where the bedrooms were. She hadn't been up here in ages, but she immediately walked past the master bedroom where Karenna slept, and went into the storage closet. All of her father's clothes were kept in here. Karenna didn't care less about what happened to them, and Kaoru didn't have the heart to throw them out. She clawed through all the fancy silk and velvet tunics her father had liked, looking for something simple. She finally was left with two items of clothing that her father, in her dim recollections, had never worn. One was a fairly plain pair of white pants and the other—Kaoru bit her lip to keep from sniggering— was an eye-catching pink tunic. _Well,_ Kaoru thought as she closed the closet door,_ he looks like a girl anyway._

Hearing a jingle and a few neighs, she peered from the window down into the courtyard. Karenna was sweeping regally into the carriage, with Yahiko, looking royally bored, at the reigns. Kaoru, flinching guiltily, realized that she had forgotten to tell him about the grim errand they were going on. Shrugging it off, she leapt down the stairs two at a time.

Walking into the barn for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, Kaoru saw Kenshin frantically searching the room. He looked up when she came in, and straightened with an embarrassed smile. Kaoru felt an eyebrow quirk up, but let it pass.

"I brought you some clothes," she announced handing him the bundle. She concealed another laugh as he stared in some consternation at the pink tunic, but he seemed to let it pass.

'Thank you, Lady Kaoru," he said with a sunny smile.

The lady herself shrugged, and gestured at what he was wearing.

"I can't exactly let you walk around like that, can I?"

Kaoru turned to leave when he caught her sleeve. "Lady Kaoru, could you answer me two questions"

"Sure, I guess…what?"

"For the first, where were Yahiko and that other lady going?"

"The slave fair, I'm afraid."

"What!"

Kenshin lurched forward to stare her in the face. Despite herself, she shivered. There was something very dark in that stare…

"Slavery?"

"Well…" Kaoru took a deep breath. "The king legalized it a few years ago. I think it's disgusting, myself, but the nobles love it."

Incomprehension clouded his eyes now.

"It's a filthy practice, that it is," Kenshin said gravely, breaking the momentary silence.

…..

That's all for today! Sorry for breaking it off, but it's late. Ah, well…


	8. Chapter 9

Wheeeee! It's an update!

………………

Kaoru shrugged it off. Lots of people were against slavery, especially since it took advantage of the poor who couldn't pay their bills. Even so, while she was telling herself this, she was inching back, towards the door. Something in his eyes had unsettled her.

"What was your second question?" She hoped this would get his mind off what had upset him so."

"Have you seen my sword?"

…….

After several minutes of both of them searching together, Kaoru found the weapon buried in a stack of hay bales where Yahiko had stashed it. Kenshin slung it on with the ease of a man putting on a belt.

"Er… what will you do now?"

Kenshin had gotten over his earlier shock and now seemed to be thinking hard about something. His hands were absentmindedly tapping the bandages that wrapped his torso, his eyes clouded. She repeated the question, more loudly this time, but he still did not answer.

Kaoru did not like being ignored.

She took a deep breath, about to yell, when he looked up at her.

"I am not entirely sure, my lady, but I will think of something."

"So you're leaving?" Kaoru wasn't sure she liked the idea. No matter how good Megumi's medical ministrations might be, people who have lost copious amounts of blood should not be gallivanting about the countryside.

Kenshin saw the beginnings of an argument approaching. Instead of fleeing in terror like a normal man, he rose to the challenge.

"Lady Kaoru, I am afraid I must. However, I am certain that we shall see each other again very soon."

"You are not going _anywhere._"

Kaoru grabbed a shocked Kenshin by the elbow and towed him across the room. Ignoring his protests, she shoved him into Yahiko's room and firmly shut the door.

"Get dressed."

"Lady Kaoru—"

"_Now._"

.Kenshin did not reply, but in the room the rustling increased. A moment later, he stepped out. Conscious of her critical gaze, he straightened the pink tunic and brushed some dust off of the white pants.

Kaoru really hoped her blush wasn't showing. He actually looked _good. _She began to talk, hoping to distract herself.

"I'll package some food for you, if you're really bent on going."

Kenshin had a look of veiled alarm on his face.

"That really won't be necessary—"

"Some money then. Heaven knows you nee—"

"No thank y—"

"Some money _and_ food then—"

"My lady." Kaoru stopped dead. His voice had a commanding note in it. When she looked at his face, however, it held only a genial smile.

"You have done more than enough. I am grateful to you. I am sure—" he reached out as if to brush her bruised cheek—"that many would have simply left me to die."

Kaoru had recoiled from the near-touch, and had retreated a step. She was furious to find herself blushing again, and angrier still at the person who caused it.

"Fine," she snapped, then pivoted on one foot and marched towards the door. Her anger deserted her for a moment, stopping her right on the threshold. She gave a single look back, and then slammed the barn door, completely missing the confused-yet-amused glance aimed in her direction.

………..

Kaoru stomped back towards the house, savagely kicking stray pebbles in her path. In the more rational part of her mind, she was puzzled with herself . The man was being perfectly polite. Why was she so angry with him?

Having a sudden idea, she ran off the beaten path a few steps and hid behind a crumbling, abandoned well house. Keeping very still, she watched as Kenshin exited the barn. He stopped a moment to cinch on that odd sword of his, then started off in the same direction the carriage had taken, his coppery hair glinting in the sun.

So he really _was_ leaving.

For some reason, the day seemed darker to Kaoru. For so long, she had been hoping for something—_anything_—to take her mind off the drudgery of her life. The arrival of this mysterious stranger seemed to be it, but she had botched it.

Well, storybook adventures were just fairytales, anyway. No dragons or magic spells for_ her. _She began a dejected trudge back to the manor, even not noticing that the hem of her too-long dress was dragging in the mud. She stopped on the edge of an enormous puddle on the side of the road, and looked at her bleary reflection. A painfully thin-looking girl with black hair and a dress that was absolutely not her color stared back.

Then Kaoru _really_ looked at herself.

She sat with a thump on a convenient rock, stunned at this new twist.

Her bruise had disappeared.


	9. Chapter 10

Again, I'm sorry for not updating in all of forever. I'll try and make this chapter a bit longer…

_What does this mean? _Kaoru thought. After discovering this strange event, she had ran back to the house. One glance in the mirror that hung in the front hall confirmed it. That ugly, painful bruise had indeed disappeared. She now was sitting in her room, wondering what to do next. She was used to Karenna's abuse, but the bruise had been exceptional in size, and, despite her shock, she was glad that it was gone. Karenna, however, would definitely notice its absence. Kaoru paced the room pondering her dilemma, looking out the window several times when she thought she heard the carriage returning.

Finally, she hit on an idea. She rushed out of the servant's quarters, went up the grand staircase, and into the part of the manor where Karenna slept. Her door was usually locked, the key hanging around Karenna's neck.

Please don't be locked, please don't be locked… 

Thankfully, the door was slightly ajar. Karenna was sloppy by nature, and her quarters were off limits to Kaoru. The room was in a shambles, clothes and hats strewn all about. Kaoru picked though the mass to her goal: Karenna's cosmetics table. Unlike the rest of the room, the table was fairly neat, with tiny bottles lined up in neat rows. Kaoru started opening the little bottles, testing the contents on her fingers. It wasn't long before she found the colors she needed, although her fingers were dyed in all sorts of colors. She applied layers of purple and black to her face, until she was satisfied with the result. If she was careful not to smear the paint, it should last her a couple of days.

…….

It was dusk.

Kaoru had been waiting for hours. Her chores were done, and she was getting extremely impatient. As she usually did, she passed the time by practicing with her "sword," which was an old broom handle. Karenna had used her wooden sword for kindling a long time ago. She was thus engaged when the carriage finally rattled to a stop outside her window. She immediately dropped the broom handle and was putting on her boots when the door swung open.

Karenna stepped into Kaoru's tiny room, holding herself disdainfully, as if it was unpleasant to merely be in the servant's quarters at all.

"We have a new addition to the staff here, girl," she announced.

_What, besides Yahiko and I? _Kaoru thought bitterly, but she didn't dare say that out loud.

Karenna saw the look on Kaoru's face and sniffed. Moving aside, she swung the door open. Kaoru had expected to see another small, cringing slave, much like Yahiko had been. Instead, she dropped her boot with a loud _thud_.

Standing in the last of the light streaming through the window, was Kenshin.

"This is Kenshin Himura," Karenna said, putting a hand familiarly on his shoulder. She gave him an insincere smile. "He has offered to work here free, in return for room and board." Her smile had turned feral. Kaoru tried to choke down a laugh at Kenshin's growing discomfort, because Karenna was quite obviously ogling him. It came out as a snort, which made Karenna glance at her. Kaoru turned her snort into a cough, but Karenna wasn't buying it.

"You will take all of your orders from him. Show Kenshin here around."

She then swept out of the room, leaving the two staring at each other. Kenshin looked a little uncomfortable, and his smile seemed to be slipping.

"Well, Lady Kaoru, I told you that we'd mee—"

Kaoru decided to get straight to the point, "Who are you?"

"Oro?"

"Don't play innocent," Kaoru snapped. Her hand had found her broomstick, and pointed it at him. "What did you do to my bruise?"

Kenshin seemed to really look at her for the first time since Karenna left. He jerked back, startled.

"Apparently, I didn't do enough, " he said stepping forward to peer at it.

"I had to _paint_ it back on!" She was snarling at him, she knew. But didn't he _realize_… She took a deep breath, and proceeded to explain, albeit with an exasperated tone.

"Look, " she said, "When Karenna hit me, she gave me this bruise. Don't you think she would notice if it suddenly _vanished!"_

Kenshin, she noticed had lost his smile. Instead, he was looking at her with a mixture of anger and compassion. Anger, she realized belatedly, at Karenna, and compassion… for her?

To her horror, she once again found herself blushing, but this time, it was for embarrassment.

She didn't want his pity.

She strode past him into the dimly lit hallway. One of his hands came up, as if to touch her on the shoulder, but then fell limply back to his side.

"Come on," she said over her shoulder to him. "I'll show you your room."

Kaoru took Yahiko's dinner out to him. She wasn't exactly looking forward to it as usual. Yahiko hated anything having to do with slavery, him being a slave himself. Just the fact that Karenna's destination that morning had been the slave fair would put him in a foul mood. She quietly entered the barn, leaving the door open. Yahiko was sitting with his back to her, so still that she thought he was asleep. Kaoru stole behind him thinking just to leave the basket of food and go, when she heard him sigh.

"Hey, ugly."

"Are you all right, Yahiko?"

"Not really. You?"

"No..."

When it was clear that neither of them was going to say anything else, Kaoru left.

The night was clear and quiet, and Kaoru was immersed in her thoughts. She first met Yahiko a few years back. Karenna, being too cheap to buy a healthy, strong slave, had instead bought the youngest and smallest of the others. The slave trader had practically given Yahiko away, saying that he wouldn't survive the winter. Karenna had put him in Kaoru' care, and threatened to beat her if he died. Kaoru, more out of pity than of fear, had nursed him back to health over a few months.Inreturn, Yahiko was like a brother to her, arguing, helping her with chores, and fetched Megumiwhenever Kaoru was beaten by Karenna.

Kaoru had always wanted a brother.

I'm tired, so I think I'll stop here.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Or happy holidays, whichever you prefer. Updating's my gift to you.

Thanks for all the nice reviews. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.


	10. Two Years!

Awwww… I love you guys! I got so many nice reviews!

A week had passed since the eventful trip into town. It was dusk, and Kaoru sat in her tiny cell of a room, much less tired than she usually was. The reason for this, of course, was Kenshin. Having one more person around to help made an immense difference. He had taken over the laundry and cooking, two things that she herself was bad at. Kaoru's cooking, as much as it pained her to admit, couldn't hold a candle to it.

However, while he _was _extremely polite, he entirely avoided answering any questions about his past or of the strange healing magic he had worked on Kaoru. No matter how much she wheedled, cajoled or threatened, he would simply smile and change the subject.

He was _infuriating._

Kaoru was usually so exhausted, she would fall asleep right away. Tonight, she felt like she could work for a couple more hours. She sat up off her chair and padded towards the doorway. As she reached for the doorknob, the door swung open, causing her to stumble a bit. Her foot caught on the doorframe, and she sprawled face first onto the floor.

"Damn it!" Her nose was bleeding profusely, and it was staining her dress. She looked up with pain-bleared eyes into the face of one very concerned redhead.

"Are you are right, my lady?" He offered a hand to help her up.

She swatted away the proffered hand. "No, I'm not all right!" Fuming, she climbed to her feet. She cast about, looking for something to staunch the blood. Kenshin wordlessly handed her a handkerchief from the pocket of his white pants. As she held the bit of cloth to her nose, she gave Kenshin a glare.

"What do you want?" Her voice was slightly nasal, and the handkerchief was slowly turning crimson.

"Well, my lady, I was wondering…"

"What?" Kaoru was _this close_ to losing her already thin patience.

"Do you think that you should take off that face paint?"

Kaoru lowered the handkerchief and blinked at him.

"Look in the mirror, my lady."

She did, and nearly shrieked.

The paint had faded, all right, but it had somehow gotten smeared over half her face.

Kaoru started scrubbing her face in the washbasin, to no avail. The horrid stuff wouldn't come off.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She knew that he probably didn't deserve to be yelled at, but still…

"Lady Kaoru, I did not noti—"

"What am I going to do?" She couldn't go around looking like that. After all, what if Karenna saw her? She was on the verge of going into a full-fledged panic when—

"Wait."

Kenshin had gripped her shoulder and was staring intently at her. As the moments ticked by, Kaoru didn't know what to think. Was he using magic? Or…

Kenshin shook his head and removed his arm. "I am sorry, my lady," he said, "But for some reason, I have no effect on it." He looked perturbed, and Kaoru used the temporary silence to get herself back under control.

"Only one thing to do then, as I see it, Lady Kaoru."

"Huh?"

Kenshin gave her that same odd little smile that had made her so angry earlier.

"I imagine, Lady Kaoru, that if your stepmother uses these cosmetics, then she would also have the means to remove them."

……………..

So once again Kaoru found herself rooting through the countless bottles of makeup in her stepmother's room. This time however, she took special care to stay quiet. Karenna herself was in her sitting parlor, which was only one room away. She couldn't begin to imagine what the older woman would do to her if she was caught.

After testing nearly all of the concoctions, Kaoru finally found what she was looking for. She grabbed a swath of clothand began to dab her face with the contents of a tiny green bottle. She had almost finished cleaning off the infernal stuff when she heard the words she had been dreading.

"Just who did you think you were fooling?"

With a gasp, she dropped the tiny bottle she had been holding. Almost too afraid to do so, she turned around—

And found that no one was there.

Again came Karenna's voice. "I am not stupid. I know that the mark was gone!"

Overcome with curiosity, Kaoru snuck over to the door that led to where Karenna was sitting. Her quick glance confused her even more. Her stepmother appeared to be her normal hideous self, and was completely alone. However, she seemed to be talking into an enormous mirror, which hung on the left side of the room. The mirror bathed the room in a faint glow, which gave Karenna a positively eerie look. Kaoru shrunk back into the bedroom, knowing that if Karenna locked even a bit to the side, she'd be caught. Nevertheless, she found herself leaning back in once her stepmother spoke.

"It was clever of her to use my cosmetics, but I saw it all the same. That bruise was completely healed. Her power _is_ asserting itself, and it is time for us to act."

Very faintly, from the direction of the mirror, a male voice replied, but Kaoru, for all her straining, couldn't make out many of the words.

"…get the men…maybe one, two weeks…be ready…"

Kaoru had a feeling that it was time for her to leave. As she tiptoed to the door, the firelight from the other room glinted off something.

The bottle. She had almost forgotten about it. Moving as fast and as stealthily as she could, she knelt and reached under the table for the object, at the same time listening for any sign of Karenna's approach. As she was groping around, one of her hands caught on a protruding nail. To her surprise, a blast of cold air hit her face.

……………

Yes, it's a cliffhanger. Yes, I know it's short. Yes, I _will _update soon.

Today is my 2-year anniversary on I would like to thank all of you who are reading my stories, and I hope to write many more before I'm done.


	11. Chapter 12

Kaoru nearly fainted with shock. A wallpapered panel had swung open, revealing what seemed to be a hidden cupboard of some sort. The opening was large, and seemed to be filled with papers and vials. Overcome with curiosity, Kaoru leaned in and gathered up an armful, careful not to rustle. In the dim light leaking in from the other room, Kaoru attempted to scan the papers. She could make out a few words, but nothing that hinted at the identity of the papers and the meaning of all this secrecy. Taking a handful, she made her silent way out of the room, careful to shut the compartment so that there were no signs of it ever have being discovered.

Once safely in the hallway, Kaoru breathed an enormous sign of relief. Her pulse thudded in her ears, and she felt strangely exhilarated by the whole experience. Here was a better mystery than from any of the books she had ever read. She began to examine the papers as she padded away from Karenna's chambers.

The papers were thick and of fine quality. A few were yellowed at the edges, but most looked to be fairly new. The first had a title of _An Ancient Brewe to Ridde Newborns of Colic._

The second paper was brand new, with what looked like fresh ink. The rather odd title was _How to Banish Cabbage-Eating Sprites._

At the bottom of the pile, there were several papers, all attached together. They appeared to be receipts of some sort. Apparently, Karenna had received an amazing amount of money for something, or several somethings, to be exact. The wording of the documents was extremely obscure. All Kaoru could discern was that Karenna was running some sort of business.

Kaoru was a very intelligent girl. No one had ever doubted that. But she couldn't decipher the meaning of the papers. There was no doubt about it. She was going to need help.

…

Megumi had been reading when her door opened. Hastily hiding the book—it was a rather torrid novel—she grimaced when Kaoru slipped inside.

"What? Did Yahiko fall down a well?"

Kaoru, on a normal day, would have sniped back at Megumi with gusto. Having come to the conclusion that she was not going to tell Megumi about what she had heard, she only had one thing on her mind.

"Here," she said simply, handing the papers to the doctor. "What do these say?"

Megumi, who expected at least a rude comment, took the papers without a murmur. For the next few moments, the only sound in Megumi's house was rustling, as Megumi pored over the documents. The rustling abruptly stilled, however, and Kaoru received the dubious pleasure of watching the blood drain out of Megumi's face.

"Where did you find these, Kaoru?" Her voice was soft, and Kaoru couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Karenna had them. What are they?"

Megumi was silent, and Kaoru felt herself getting angry.

"Well?"

"Illegal slave trading," Megumi said quietly. Kaoru felt her jaw drop.

"Your stepmother," continued Megumi, "has been a slave trader for some time now, according to these documents." Her face was grim and set.

"But… that's impossible," Kaoru said weakly. Even as she said this, however, she mentally kicked herself. If she had just opened her eyes, she would have seen it. Karenna's mysterious jaunts into town, her odd hours, visitors in the middle of the night… it all added up.

"What's more," added Megumi, after scanning the documents, "not only was she dealing in illegal slaves, she also sold only ones with considerable magical talent."

Kaoru gaped at Megumi. "She was selling _witches?_ Is she crazy?"

"From the looks of it, yes. It's amazing that one hasn't escaped and come after her for retribution."

"Any other surprises?"

"Well… she's made a lot of money. What you have to understand, Kaoru, is that what she is doing is very illegal. Slave trading may be legal, but there are stiff taxes and many rules. If she's caught, she's dead." Megumi stood up. "Kaoru, there is no way I can stress this enough. Watch yourself. Karenna will not hesitate to silence you if you confront her with this…"

During her tirade, a paper that neither of them had noticed was shaken free. It drifted down to the floor, where it caught Kaoru's eye. She picked it up, and nearly handed it to Megumi before something on it caught her eye. Reading it, she gestured to Megumi to be quiet.

"What is it?" Megumi said, angling her head in an attempt to read what the other girl was holding.

Kaoru looked up with haunted eyes.

"It's about Yahiko. Listen."

In a quiet voice that stumbled over unfamiliar words, she began to read.

_Bill of Sale: Yahiko Myojin_

_Price: 1000 Gold Kings_

_Details: Hard Worker, Small For His Age_

_Will Have Significant Powers When Older. Must Have Training If Any Control Is Desired_

"Signed, Lady Karenna," Kaoru read. She looked fearfully at Megumi. "She's sold him. To a Marquis."

She pointed it out with a finger and frowned.

"We'll have to help him escape," Kaoru said firmly. "The Marquis… I've heard of him. He uses slaves badly."

"Yahiko's valuable, though. He is certainly worth something, if Karenna kept him here to keep an eye on him," Megumi argued. "He'll have a better life there, if they are willing to pay a thousand kings for him. That could buy a hundred slaves!"

From the look in Kaoru's eyes, she was not to be deterred.

"I'll figure something out."

Soon afterwards, Kaoru left. Megumi sat in silence. For some reason, she didn't want to read anymore.

…

Night had fallen, and Kaoru had considerable trouble getting home. Although it was a clear night, the moon hadn't risen and the stars were dim. Kaoru, clutching the papers to her chest, flinched every time she came around a corner. Karenna's conversation with the mirror had unnerved her. While it would take a week for any of Karenna's men to arrive, that didn't stop her from expecting shadowy figures to leap out of the shrubbery any minute. Because her mind was mulling over these deep thoughts, she leaped a foot and shrieked when someone grabbed her elbow. Dropping the papers, she swung around and proceeded to bury her fist in the other person's face.

With a forlorn "Oro," Kenshin thudded to the ground.

"Kenshin! Why did you sneak up on me like that!"

"I am very sorry, Lady Kaoru," moaned Kenshin, from his position face flat on the ground.

"I've had a very stressful day, you know," ranted Kaoru. "And know you come and grab me like that…"

Kenshin meekly listened for a few moments with his face buried in dirt before raising his head to apologize. When he did, his voice caught. This was the first time he had seen Kaoru without bruises or cosmetics, and he could come to one conclusion.

She was beautiful.

Even in her drab gray dress, even with dust in her hair, even when she was ranting furiously, she was beautiful.

And he was snapped out of his daze when she kicked him.

"I said, what are you doing out here, Kenshin?"

"When you did not return by sundown, I came to look… just to make sure…"

"Oh!" Immediately she blushed, looking embarrassed.

After Kenshin had gotten stiffly to his feet, they walked in silence to the manor, each of them making an effort not to look at the other person.

"What are those papers, Lady Kaoru?"

They had reached the house, and Kaoru was in mid-yawn. She glanced at him. She liked him, of course. He was polite, kind, and, she admitted to herself, very handsome.

But could she trust him?

She needed time to think. She was tired, and Karenna had probably noticed her absence. There was no time for lengthy explanations.

"Kenshin."

"Yes, Lady Kaoru?"

"Can I talk to you in the morning? It's important."

They had reached the door, and were standing outside in the cool night air. Candlelight from inside gave the surrounding a glow.

"Of course, Lady Kaoru."

Looking up at him, Kaoru realized how close they were. She suddenly felt shy, and it was about to say something.

Instead, she gave a curt nod and went inside.

Kenshin barely heard the door shut. With a quiet sigh, he sat on the back step and leaned against the door, looking up at the night sky… and smiled.

…

Kaoru sprinted up to her room, avoiding Karenna, who was in the parlor. When she arrived safely, he set down the papers. She was looking forward to a sleepless night ahead of her. There were many things she needed to do before the talk with Kenshin. After hiding the papers underneath her thin mattress, she began feeling at the wall behind her bed.

Karenna wasn't the only one with secret compartments in her room.

………………………….

I am _so_ sorry.

I'm trying to make up for my lack of updating _(Five months!) _with a very big chapter.

I honestly think my muse died for a little while.

Anyway, I love you all, and don't you guys dare forget to send me your ideas. I can't use all of them, but they are very useful.

Pirotessa

P.S. I promise to update more.


	12. Chapter 13

I am such a liar. I promised to update and then I disappear for six months. Oh well. You'll survive.

……….

Her mood slowly deteriorating, Kaoru squelched through the mud. The sky was overcast and grim, and a milky fog was still hanging in the air.

Kaoru hadn't slept all night. In anticipation of Karenna's usual schedule, she had slipped a note under Kenshin's door, telling him to meet her by the creek. The creek was a good mile walk away, and the last barrier before the forest, which loomed in the distance. As Kaoru kept her eyes fixed on it, she saw a flicker of color weaving between the trees. One blink, and it was gone. Kaoru's hand strayed to her belt, which hung precariously low on her waist. She had tucked the largest, sharpest kitchen knife in her belt, alongside an enormous pouch. She winced as she picked up the pace. The bag had been bouncing against her leg, undoubtedly leaving a bruise.

_Another to add to the collection, _she snarled mentally.

She could see the line of trees that marked the creek up ahead, a sharp change to the monotonous fields. Her boots rustling the leaves, Kaoru ducked under the first mossy branch. Despite herself, she fretted. She hadn't told Kenshin _specifically_ where to meet her, she had just assumed—

"Good morning, Lady Kaoru."

With a shriek, Kaoru's head shot up, nearly hitting a branch.

"Kenshin! Don't be so lou—"

Her voice echoing, Kaoru reddened and clapped her hands to her mouth. Kenshin had been practically whispering, while she wouldn't be surprised if the king in the capital had heard her.

"Sorry," she whispered, "but _warn _me next time."

"Oro," she heard him mutter, before he followed her deeper into the trees.

……….

"Stop here," Kaoru ordered after a few minutes of dodging branches and sloshing through various lake-sized puddles.

"Here?" Kenshin looked around with misgiving. No doubt it would be pretty in the sun, but the tiny clearing was dismal.

"What's wrong with it?" Kaoru had bristled at the sound of doubt in Kenshin's voice. She had seated herself on a large stone and was shaking leaves off her boots.

"Nothing!" Kenshin paused and his face was blank for a second before becoming puzzled. "The air tastes strange," he said, so quietly that Kaoru could hardly hear him.

"I love it here," Kaoru said simply. "I feel so safe. Like nothing can find me."

Kenshin ran his hand over the nearest boulder, fingering the carved runes nearly hidden under the moss.

_And no wonder, _he thought wryly, before saying, "Lady Kaoru, why did you want to meet?"

Kaoru took a deep breath and unhooked the pouch from her belt.

"I don't know why," she stated quietly, "but I feel like I can trust you. Megumi does too," she added quickly.

Kenshin gave her a slight smile. "I'm glad you think so."

Kaoru took a deep breath. _And here goes nothing._

"I need you to take Yahiko away," she said. "As far away as you can get."

Kenshin's face was uncomprehending.

"I want him to escape," she said desperately. "He'll live and die a slave. Karenna will sell him, and I can't see that happen." Mistaking the look on his face for refusal, she upended the sack.

Coins rained onto the leafy ground, interspersed with enormous gems. They caught the light even in the dimness under the trees. Clumps of cotton floated to the ground, layered with the coins in order to keep them form clinking.

"Lady Kaoru," Kenshin gasped, turning one of the coins over with his foot, "Where did you _get _all this?"

"That's not the point," Kaoru whispered.

"No. I'll do it. But in return, you have to come with us."

"What?" Kaoru didn't know what his answer would be, but she didn't expect _that._

"Your stepmother…" Kenshin spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully, "Your stepmother has no right to you. I understand if you feel some obligation toward her. Trust me…" He brushed her cheek with his hand, "She doesn't deserve it." His hand dropped back to his side.

_He's right, _Kaoru thought with some surprise, _What am I still doing here?_ Her parents were dead, and the only thing still tying her down was a bitter woman withering away in a crumbling manor. She could take the rest of her money and start a new life, far_, far _away from chores and—

Wait.

Something occurred to her so quickly it made her sick. In the clearing, the safe feeling, the calm that she loved was gone. In its place was a terror so palpable it made her breath hitch.

"Kenshin, do you feel that?"

"Feel what?" The moment the words left his mouth it struck him like a slap. His sword was out in an instant, the blade's dull gleaming the only light. Seconds later, a pale young woman seemed to glide into the clearing.

Kaoru's heart stuttered and skipped a beat as the lady gave her a gentle smile. The woman took slow measured steps towards them. Breathing for Kaoru verged on pain. Her sense of wrongness increased. Kenshin was faring worse. His eyes were locked on the specter's, and his face was pale.

_Get away! _Kaoru's mind wailed, _Run!_ With superhuman effort, she grabbed Kenshin's hand, its icy cold making her flinch. She yanked.

The next few moments were blurred for Kaoru. Kenshin snapped out of his trance and whirled around. The monster—for Kaoru was sure that it was a monster—shrieked and flung herself forward. Kaoru caught a glimpse of bloody claws before she was swung up on Kenshin's back.

The wind whipped back her hair and burned her eyes. Kenshin was running at an amazing speed through the trees, carrying her like she was nothing. She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in Kenshin's back.

Suddenly, the wind was quiet. Kenshin had stopped. Kaoru opened her eyes.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" They had stopped beside the biggest tree Kaoru had ever seen. It was surrounded by an endless sea of trees. It was all completely new to Kaoru.

Who also didn't care less.

"You're not even breathing hard!" She slid off his back. "You just ran faster than a horse_ while _carrying me _and you're not even breathing hard!"_

"Eh…oro?"

"Where are we, anyway?"

"Er…"

"What the hell was that _thing?"_

"Well…"

"And just who are you?"

Kenshin's face stilled. The almost-jovial look on his face was gone.

"Do you know many fairy tales, Lady Kaoru?"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Unconsciously, Kaoru put her hands on her hips. She was startled when she felt something damp against her right hand.

"I'm bleeding!" She yelped, bringing her hand up for Kenshin to see. Sure enough, bright streaks of blood criss-crossed her hand. Embarrassed out of his somber mood, Kenshin blushed and averted his eyes.

"Not that kind of bleeding, you idiot," Kaoru hissed, her face red. "That hell-bitch scratched me." She looked at her hand. "She _really_ scratched me," she murmured, puzzled. "But I can't _feel _anything."

Kenshin materialized next to her, inducing a shriek. .

"It doesn't hurt?" The panic in his voice alarmed her.

"No…how bad is it?"

"Not so bad…" His face was smiling, but his eyes were a gold she hadn't seen before.

Gold? Maybe her eyes were fooling her Kaoru squinted and rubbed her eyes, frowning. It was only midmorning, but everything seemed darker.

A few moments passed.

"Are you all right?"

Kaoru didn't answer.

"Lady Kaoru?"

Her eyes were blank, but her face was stoic and still.

"Lady Kaoru?"

"I can't see," she said softly.

………

I honestly think this is one of my longer chapters…. I promise to update soon, but you lot know what my promises are worth… Ta!


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